UK

Record lottery jackpot as rollover hits £42m

Chances of winning a prize in the lottery have increased
Chances of winning a prize in the lottery have increased Chances of winning a prize in the lottery have increased

The biggest ever Lotto prize could be up for grabs tomorrow as the estimated rollover jackpot climbs to £42.2 million.

A single winning ticket would see the holder instantly scoop the largest sum ever claimed.

A National Lottery spokeswoman said: "The Lotto jackpot is poised to break records with £42.2 million waiting to be won on Wednesday. A single winner would instantly become the biggest Lotto winner the nation has ever seen."

Camelot said 2015 had seen more millionaires made by the National Lottery than ever before.

Three hundred and forty-one people walked away with a cheque for at least £1 million, sharing a massive £1.47 billion between them.

The previous record was set in 2013, with 335 individuals becoming millionaires.

A record was also set when more people were made millionaires in one night than ever before - 25 people winning the prize on October 10.

The review of the year revealed the luckiest star sign was Aries, and that builders continued to be the luckiest profession.

A National Lottery spokeswoman said: "All sorts of millionaire-making records have been broken in what has been a life-changing 2015 for National Lottery players.

"Our 341 new millionaires have helped propel our running total to over 4,000 millionaires, a landmark milestone we celebrated in October.

"Every player in 2015 has helped National Lottery-funded projects across the UK. Over 29,000 projects have received grants this year helping to change lives in local communities."

However, this year also saw Camelot controversially increase the number of balls from 49 to 59, decreasing the chance of winning the jackpot from one in 14 million to one in 45 million.

The new-look draw was met with scepticism from the public, but Camelot said the "enhancements" would provide a better chance of winning.

The changes also saw the introduction of a new Millionaire Raffle which guarantees at least one millionaire per draw.